Darwin-Wedgwood family

The Darwin—Wedgwood family was a prominent English family, descended from Erasmus Darwin and Josiah Wedgwood, the most notable member of which was Charles Darwin. The family contained at least ten Fellows of the Royal Society and several artists and poets. Presented below are brief biographical sketches and genealogical information with links to articles on the members. The individuals are listed by year of birth and grouped into generations. The relationship to Francis Galton and his immediate ancestors is also given.

The first generation

Josiah Wedgwood

Josiah Wedgwood (1730-1795) was a noted potter and a friend of Erasmus Darwin; in 1780 on the death of Josiah Wedgwood's long-time business partner Thomas Bentley, Wedgwood turned to his friend Erasmus Darwin for help in running the business. As a result of the close association that grew up between the Wedgwood and Darwin families, one of Josiah's daughters later married Erasmus' son Robert. One of the children of that marriage, Charles Darwin, also married a Wedgwood — Emma, Josiah's granddaughter. Robert's inheritance of Josiah's money enabled him to fund Charles Darwin's chosen vocation in natural history that led to the inception of Darwin's theory of evolution. Subsequently Emma's inheritance made the Darwins a wealthy family.

Related Topics:
Josiah Wedgwood - 1730 - 1795 - Potter - 1780 - Thomas Bentley - Natural history - Inception of Darwin's theory - Evolution

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Josiah Wedgwood married Sarah Wedgwood (1734-1815), and they had two children, Josiah Wedgwood II (See below) and Susannah Wedgwood (later Darwin; see below)

Related Topics:
1734 - 1815

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Erasmus Darwin

Erasmus Darwin (1731-1802) was a physician, botanist and poet from Birmingham, whose lengthy erotic poems gave insights into medicine and natural history, and outlined an evolutionist theory that anticipated both Jean-Baptiste Lamarck and his grandson Charles. He married twice, first to Mary Howard 1757, who died in 1770 from alcohol-induced liver failure, aged 31. She gave birth to:

Related Topics:
Erasmus Darwin - 1731 - 1802 - Physician - Botanist - Poet - Natural history - Evolutionist - Jean-Baptiste Lamarck - 1757 - 1770 - Alcohol - Liver failure

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• Charles Darwin (1758-1778) (not Charles Robert Darwin)
• Erasmus Darwin II (1759-1799)
• Elizabeth Darwin, 1763 (survived 4 months)
• Robert Waring Darwin (see below)
• William Alvey Darwin, (1767) (survived 19 days)

He then had an extra-marital affair with a Miss Parker, producing two daughters:

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• Susanna Parker (1772–1856)
• Mary Parker (1774–1859)

He then became smitten with Elizabeth Collier Sacheveral-Pole, who was married to Colonel Sacheveral-Pole. Sacheveral-Pole died shortly afterwards, and Erasmus married her and they bore an additional seven children:

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• Edward Darwin, (1782 - 1829)
• Frances Anne Violetta Darwin, (1783-1874); married Samuel Tertius Galton; mother of Francis Galton (see below)
• Emma Georgina Elizabeth Darwin (born 1784)
• Francis Sacheverel Darwin (1786-1859)
• John Darwin (1787-1865)
• Henry Darwin (born 1789)
• Harriot Darwin (1790-1825); later Harriott Maling.

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Samuel "John" Galton

Samuel "John" Galton FRS (1753-1832) was an arms manufacturer from Birmingham.

Related Topics:
Samuel "John" Galton - 1753 - 1832

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